Raymond Ozoji, Awka
A human right and pro-democracy group, Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace, Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), has urged Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to wake up from slumber in providing democracy dividend to the people of the State.
The chairman BoT of HURIDE, Dede Uzor A Uzor, in a statement made available to newsmen in Onitsha yesterday the commercial nerve centre of the State, said the rainy season was about to set in and the roads across the State are still in deplorable conditions.
“The people of the State are in agony for electing Obiano as the Governor.
“He has not tarred up to 250km of roads in the state and this is his seventh year in office,” they said.
However, he challenged his supporters to organise project tour for journalists and human rights groups as his predecessor, Peter Obi, did if they disagreed with their position.
Stating that the tour would prove the abysmal performance of Obiano, Dede Uzor said it was pathetic that even the roads scrapped before last year’s Christmas had been abandoned.
He called for immediate declaration of State of emergency on Anambra roads especially PortHacourt Road, Niger Street, Zik Avenue, Bida Road, Modebe, Arondizuogu, Orlu, Creek, Niger-Main Market, Vein Road, Okwe Street, Oguta Road, Oduwanu Street to Fegge Police Station, Miss Elems, Obodo-Ukwu now caught into two, Ede Road now a death trap, dualisation of 33 Road, Construction of Akpaka Forest Road to College, Nsugbe College Road, Ugwu nwa Asike Road, all in Onitsha and envrions among many others.
Dede said Governor Obiano has no excuse for not doing the roads in the State since after Christmas which his aides and himself assured Ndi Anambra of working on before the Yuletide.
Wondering how he would convince the people of Anambra State to vote for his party/candidate in the forthcoming Governorship election, he blamed the opposition for not rising up to their responsibility.
“It is unfortunate that the opposition is dead in the State. Some have been bought over, while some are waiting to be put in power to continue the ‘cycle of endemic corruption going on in the State.’ ”
The chairman lamented lack of public water supply in the entire State especially Awka, the State capital and Onitsha.
He decried that borehole and River Niger water, which are acidic and disease infected and have led to the sickness and outright death of some people are major sources of water supply in the State.
He said high rate of kidney, liver failures and other related diseases were traceable to poor water supply in the State, stressing that Onitsha still remained the dirtiest city in Nigeria.